By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The SAQ location in Stanstead is set to close when its lease expires, leaving residents without a local option for purchasing alcohol. Mayor Jody Stone was informed of the decision via a call from a senior SAQ official, who cited low customer numbers and suggested that Stanstead residents were already shopping at SAQ outlets in nearby Ayer’s Cliff, Magog, and Coaticook.
Stone expressed skepticism over the justification, questioning why residents would travel to Ayer’s Cliff when Stanstead has a comparable grocery store with an SAQ outlet offering a larger selection. “The logic for me doesn’t work,” he said, adding that Magog’s wider selection might be a draw, but Ayer’s Cliff’s smaller offering seemed an unlikely alternative for many local customers. He has requested more detailed data from SAQ to verify the claims.
The mayor also highlighted the broader economic impact of the closure, explaining that when people travel outside Stanstead to buy alcohol, they are likely to do other shopping in those communities, potentially harming local businesses. “What upsets me is that they’re taking away a service that we offer in Stanstead,” Stone said. “That hurts other businesses that we have.”
Stone has already contacted the office of the local MNA to voice his dissatisfaction and plans to continue pressing for a solution that would keep SAQ products available in town. He noted that no alternative options, such as a smaller SAQ outlet with delivery options, had been proposed by the corporation. “I would hope that they would give me a solution to the problem,” he said. “They didn’t say they weren’t making money. They’re just saying they’re not making enough.”
The issue has sparked a strong reaction online, with local lawyer and activist Colin Standish criticizing the government-run liquor monopoly for closing a location so close to the U.S.-Canada border, particularly in the context of a trade dispute. “It’s so nice when the government, already controlling a state-administered and owned monopoly, closes down local services literally several hundred metres from the US-Canada border on the literal frontlines of a trade war,” Standish wrote on Facebook, also drawing attention to the price disparity between Canadian and American alcohol due to different taxation and business models.
While Stone continues to advocate for a reversal of the decision, he acknowledges that the town has limited influence over the SAQ, which operates independently of direct provincial government control. “I’m doing what I think I can do,” he said, encouraging residents to make their voices heard. “Just put pressure,” he urged, noting that community feedback could play a role in influencing the decision.
